Sunderland 0 QPR 0: Highlights after Anthony Patterson saves earn Cats a point at the Stadium of Light
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Sunderland were held to a goalless draw with QPR at the Stadium of Light.
In a game of few chances, Mike Dodds’ side stopped a six-game losing run, while keeping their first clean sheet since New Year’s Day. The result leaves Sunderland 12th in the Championship table with eight games remaining this season.
Here's how the game played out:
Sunderland vs QPR
RECAP: Sunderland 0 QPR 0
Sunderland XI: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Hjelde, Styles, Neil, Bellingham, Ba (Ekwah, 57), Aouchiche, Mundle (Burstow, 78), Hemir (Rigg, 57)
Subs: Bishop, Pembele, Bainbridge, Ekwah, Dack, Rigg, Kelly, Jones, Burstow
QPR XI: Begovic, Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal, Colback, Hayden (Field, 84), Willock, Andersen (Smyth, 84), Chair (Hodge, 63), Dykes (Armstrong, 63)
Subs: Walsh, Fox, Hodge, Cannon, Larkeche, Field, Smyth, Frey, Armstrong
It's Matchday
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Sunderland's Championship fixture against QPR.
The Black Cats are looking to end a six-match losing run, yet their injury list has got even bigger following last weekend's 4-2 defeat at Southampton.
We'll have all the build-up ahead of today's match, as well as in-game analysis and post-match reaction.
Stick around and refresh the page for live updates.
Team news
We'll start with the Sunderland team news - and it's a long list.
The Black Cats will make a late call on Dan Ballard (below) after the defender was forced off with a hamstring injury against Southampton last weekend. Dodds admitted in Friday's press conference the club wouldn't risk the defender in normal circumstances, yet more injuries have left Sunderland extremely stretched at the back.
It has been confirmed that Jenson Seelt will miss the rest of this season with a knee injury, while Nazariy Rusyn picked up a knock during last weekend's defeat at Southampton and will be unavailable to face QPR.
Luke O'Nien will also miss today's match as he serves the second match of his two-game suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards this season.
Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts, Dennis Cirkin, Aji Alese, Corry Evans, Bradley Dack, Niall Huggins and Elliot Embleton all remain unavailable.
Dodds on QPR
Here's what the Sunderland boss had to say about today's opponents:
“The new coach has come in and made them really hard to play against and they have had some positive results.
“They went away to Leicester and won 2-1 and they are a completely different QPR to the team we played earlier this season.
“As I always say, there aren't any easy games in this league so we're going to have to be really good to get a result.”
How QPR are shaping up
QPR were beaten 2-0 by Middlesbrough last weekend, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone, but have improved under head coach Marti Cifuentes.
Rangers had taken 10 points from four games before losing against Boro, which included a win against league leaders Leicester.
Cifuentes on Sunderland
Here's what QPR boss Cifuentes has said about Sunderland:
"Sunderland will be a difficult game to play against a big crowd, 40/42,000 probably pushing from the beginning. They have a very talented squad with a lot of individual quality. We need to perform at a good level because we know that starting the game in a good way will help us a lot. If it's the other way around it will be very difficult."
Predicted line-ups
Predicted Sunderland XI: Patterson, Pembele, Hume, Hjelde, Styles; Neil, Ekwah, Mundle, Aouchiche, Ba, Bellingham
Predicted QPR XI: Begovic, Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal, Colback, Field; Smyth, Andersen, Chair, Dykes
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